A trial continued Wednesday for a former Gainesville police officer charged with the neglect and abuse of his 2-month-old daughter in January 2007.
Herbert Priester, 39, allegedly squeezed her, causing internal bleeding, fractured ribs and ruptured organs, said Chief Assistant State Attorney Jeanne Singer.
According to testimony from Priester’s wife, Tabitha Priester, 25, the infant was found lying naked and covered with scratches and bruises in the couple’s home in southwest Gainesville shortly after her husband returned home from work.
The defense said the wounds were caused by the Priester’s family dog, Bandit. The infant was released from the hospital after 10 days and is now healthy. The state charged Herbert Priester with abuse and neglect.
The pediatric radiologist at Shands who handled the case, Jonathan Williams, said during the trial that such damage would be “highly unlikely unless it was a very large dog.”
In her testimony, Tabitha Priester defended her husband and dog, blaming herself. Priester once worked for the Florida Department of Children and Families, she said.
“It’s not the dog’s fault,” she said. “It’s my fault for not securing the dog.”
Testimony will resume today at 9 a.m. at the Alachua County Criminal Justice Center.
